Final hours before Israel votes: Deadlock looms, Arab turnout in focus

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Israel's election campaign fell silent 24 hours before polling stations are set to open at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday for legislative elections.

All campaign advertising is banned during the final 24 hours, while political parties are still allowed to conduct field activities. Right-wing bloc leader Benjamin Netanyahu and Change bloc leader Gadi Eisenkot, along with their campaign teams, are using the remaining hours to mobilize voters.

Campaign workers are going door to door seeking to persuade voters to support their parties, while political leaders are using the final hours to persuade smaller parties that are unlikely to cross the electoral threshold to withdraw in their favor.

The intensified last-minute efforts are aimed at changing the projected election outcome. The latest opinion polls show the two competing blocs holding similar numbers of seats, raising the possibility that neither will be able to form a government.

That could make Palestinian citizens of Israel, known as Palestinians of the 1948 territories, a potentially decisive factor. Reports suggest efforts are underway to raise turnout among them to between 70% and 80%, following their opposition to policies pursued by the far-right government, from the war in Gaza and what they describe as genocide there to policies on other fronts and the actions of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, including settlement expansion and home demolitions.

The prospect of high turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel has raised concern among some Israelis. Information has also emerged about alleged attempts to bring around 2,000 armed people to polling stations in Arab communities to disrupt voting.

At the same time, plans reportedly being prepared by the right-wing bloc allege irregularities at Arab polling stations, raising the possibility of those ballots being challenged or voting being disrupted.

Against this backdrop, Israelis are waiting anxiously until 10 p.m. Tuesday, when polling stations close, to learn where the country is headed — toward another political deadlock that could prevent the formation of a government and pave the way for new elections in early January, or toward an outcome in which Palestinian citizens of Israel could have the decisive say.